Dr Mackie explained: “My co-researcher and I felt that little consideration is given to the potential role, and impact, research-led teaching could play in schools and in the development of pupils’ critical thinking and educational fulfilment.

“We examined a program designed to transfer contemporary geographical research from universities to schools and found that exposure to research not only improved knowledge but heightened pupil enthusiasm and helped inform the choices they made about their own learning. Finding a way to build and develop a better relationship between universities and schools is important for the future of scholarship and debate in the field of geography and planning.”

The NGCE is a non-profit membership organisation established in 1915 and based in the United States that works to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of geography teaching and learning. The 2018 awards ceremony will be held in Quebec City, Canada, on 6 August.